Genital Wart Treatments
Genital warts can be treated or not treated. Some people may want
warts removed if they cause itching, burning, and discomfort. Others
may want to clear up visible warts. If you decide to have warts
removed, do NOT use over-the counter medicines meant for other kinds of warts. There are special treatments for genital warts. Your doctor may treat genital warts by applying a chemical in the office. Or your doctor may prescribe a cream that you apply at home. Surgery is also an option. Surgical treatments include:
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Electrocautery. An electric current is used to burn off the warts.
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Laser treatment. Light is used to destroy warts.
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Cryosurgery. Warts are frozen off.
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Cutting them out.
Even after the warts are treated, the virus (genital HPV) may remain, and warts can return. For this reason, it is not clear if treating the genital warts lowers a person’s chance of giving the virus (genital HPV) to a sex partner or not. If left untreated, genital warts may go away, remain unchanged, or increase in size or number. They will not turn into cancer. It is not fully known why low-risk HPV causes genital warts in some cases and not in others.
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